As US shifts its gaze, can anyone keep an eye on Iran in the Gulf?
A new report from the International Institute for Strategic Studies raises the possibility of a troubling blind spot that regional allies might struggle to fix.
By AGNES HELOU
on May 12, 2023 at 9:26 AM
BEIRUT — Iran‘s recent seizure of two merchant vessels from international waters has thrown the spotlight, once again, on the aggressive nature of how Tehran operates around its territory. But with the US shifting its attention from the Gulf region and towards Russia and China, it’s uncertain if there are enough assets to make sure Iran’s movements are tracked regularly.
That’s the question raised by a new report from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a London-based think tank. In late April, the group issued a report called “Watching Iran: the ISR Gulf” addressing whether cooperation among the Gulf countries, combined with ISR capabilities with the US fifth fleet in the region, can accomplish regional security goals in Hurmuz Strait, the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Gulf.
“Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance coverage of Iran is and will continue to be a central element of bolstering regional security,” the report warns, adding that “Gulf countries, while holding some ISR capacity at the national level, currently lack the overall resources to fully replace those elements that Washington is redeploying [elsewhere], as do their allies.
https://breakingdefense.com/2023/05/as-us-shifts-its-gaze-can-anyone-keep-an-eye-on-iran-in-the-gulf/
